Fishtory is gearing up for launch!
17 December 2015
In the lead up to the official public launch of Fishtory, the team is engaged in a (coffee-fuelled) push to promote the new site and invite the public to get involved. As part of this, the world of social media is being embraced and Fishtory gains both a Facebook page and a Twitter feed. According to Dr Warren Potts, “we are relying on the public to get involved in our data collection, and what better way to reach them than through the internet.”
Fishtory is an innovative new research project that will use historical records to look at how marine fish stocks have changed over the past 100 years and to set baselines for current stock assessments. Its main focus is on old catch photos, angling journals and newspaper clippings, which are submitted by members of the public and in particular, the recreational fishing community. By engaging anglers as active citizen scientists, the project will provide a platform through which they can participate in the preservation of fish populations and secure their recreational activity into the future.
Fishtory is part of a collaboration between Rhodes University, WWF-SA, the South African National Biodiversity Initiative and the University of Cape Town and the recreational fishing community of South Africa. It launches in January 2016.
Join us online to keep informed of project developments, at www.facebook.com/Fishtory/ and @FishtorySA.